


An Unreasonable Proposal

by 87Wings_of_an_angel87



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Good Draco Malfoy, M/M, Pining Draco Malfoy, Redeemed Draco Malfoy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:15:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27859681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/87Wings_of_an_angel87/pseuds/87Wings_of_an_angel87
Summary: Rumors of Adelaide and Draco's supposed make-out session whipped around the school. Once her parents got wind of it, she thought she was done for. Instead, they surprised her, and now she was being used in a proposal for his hand.(fake dating Draco x original character)(Also posted on wattpad)
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Harry Potter/Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	1. candelabras are a pain to clean

**Author's Note:**

> Sup guys, new fic hope you like

McGonagall dropped the bucket of soapy water and a couple of cloth towels in front of Adelaide’s feet.

“These candelabras are not going to wash themselves, so I suggest you get started,” McGonagall said sternly, her mouth in a tight thin line.

Adelaide mentally scolded herself as she began taking apart the first candelabra, removing each scone and branch from the main stem. While everyone is enjoying their first day in Hogsmeade, she is stuck doing housework.

She can’t blame McGonagall for giving her detention- she did break a major school rule. She’s lucky the McGonagall didn’t give her anymore Saturday detentions besides the one. She actually went easy on Adelaide, which is surprising for her. Adelaide thought that maybe she would want to make a good impression as her first year as headmistress, but alas the former teacher had her favorites and Adelaide was one of them.

Or maybe she was taken in the extreme decline of the mental health of the students, caused by last year's disaster of a school year. Adelaide shuddered as the faces of the Carrows flashed in her. The things they did to her and her friends…

Adelaide wiped those nasty memories from her mind, instead focusing on precisely why McGonagall hovered over her still. Adelaide has cleaned the candelabras before, so why was she still here? Maybe she had nothing better to do now that all the students were gone in Hogsmeade. Knowing McGonagall, she would want to optimize her time and do Headmistress things then watch a student clean.

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hallway. Adelaide turned around at the sound. Draco Malfoy was sprinting down the hallway looking rather distressed. Face red, puffing chest, he came to a screeching halt before McGonagall who proceeded to give him a hard glare.

“I suggest, Mr. Malfoy, that you show up on time to detention in order to avoid another one,” McGonagall chastised him in the way she does.

Oh no.

Malfoy held back an eye roll (it’s easy to tell when he is), instead holding the headmistress’ gaze. “I apologize, Headmistress.”

McGonagall nodded, satisfied at his answer. She pivoted her attention to Adelaide, before glancing back at Malfoy.

“I trust two seventh years know how to clean the candelabras by now. I will be in my office when you are done. And remember, no magic shall be in use while doing this task.”

With this, McGonagall turned and gracefully walked down the hallway.

Adelaide glanced at Malfoy who met her gaze. She looked away, feeling a bit awkward about the interaction. He didn’t seem to care.

She wordlessly passed him a cloth towel to use. He muttered a thank you before grabbing another candelabra.

The air was thick with uncomfortable tension. Her history with Malfoy was long and unpleasant. For one, he bullied her and her friends mercilessly for years, and not to mention he was a former Death Eater. Saying they don’t get along is an understatement. But, Malfoy was surprisingly quiet as they worked around the castle, cleaning the candelabras. A part of her isn't surprised because he had ignored her group of friends this year completely.

Well, besides one incident.

In the beginning of the year, the first week of their redo year at Hogwarts, Hermione accidentally bumped into Malfoy in the hallway.

“S-Sorry,” she had apologized at the time.

Ron was standing behind Hermione, glaring at Malfoy. Hermione had stepped in front of Ron, holding him back from Malfoy. Ron was almost daring Malfoy to try something, but he didn’t.

“It’s my bad, Granger, have a good day,” Malfoy had responded before walking away.

They all gaped as the platinum blonde shrank down the hallway.

Harry, Ron, and Ginny relayed the story to Luna and Neville later, bragging about the interaction. The story was a little fabricated, but Adelaide and Hermione did not correct their white lies. Instead, they exchanged knowing glances. Because while the others were too shocked or pleased by Malfoy’s behavior, Hermione and Adelaide both noticed an emptiness in Malfoy's eyes.

His eyes were empty here, too, in the corridor during the detention. It was strange to see him and not hear him mutter something about mudbloods or how she was a blood traitor. Although, she wasn’t complaining.

“Are you going to keep staring at me?” Suddenly Draco snapped.

The shock on her first must’ve been clear, cause his lips twitched a little.

“Sorry,” she murmured, before glancing down to the floor.

Her cheeks were surely as red as a strawberry by now.

As they worked in silence, she saw Draco peeking at her, but she pretended not to notice. Was he doing it on purpose to annoy her? Or to get back at her? Or was he genuinely curious? Maybe he’s never washed the candelabras and was following her to know what to do.

“So...why are you in detention?” Adelaide tried breaking the tension.

Malfoy looked up at her now with narrowed eyes.

“Fine, I was just wondering,” she grumbled.

Silence fell between them once again.

He looked back down at the candelabra he was working on. Still, his eyes shifted in contemplation. He rubbed polish on the same spot for a long time, she noticed. Way too long.

Adelaide shifted her attention to her own candelabra in an attempt to not let his obvious distraction in turn distract her. Instead, she thought about the grooves of the candelabra, and not how he might still hate her despite doing nothing to him except defending her friends.

Ok, so maybe she was a little distracted.

Yeah, so might have had a slight attitude change, but the fact he won’t even be civil boils her blood. Sitting here with him just reminds Adelaide of the awful things he has done to her friends, and even those outside of her friend group. As much as she’s tried to forget it, the fact remains that his bullying would have a lasting effect on all of them, especially Hermione.

“I was caught sneaking to my dorm after the party got busted yesterday night.”

The sound of his voice shocked her, but she tried not to show it so obviously. Still, she flinched at the sound. He glanced at her curiously, eyeing her weird reaction, before glancing back down to his task.

“Same,” she muttered, not wanting to talk to him anymore.

He eyed her suspiciously. Adelaide scratched the back of her neck feeling a chill under the gaze.

“I didn’t see you there,” he said finally, a knowing smirk on his face. “Where were you really?”

Adelaide looked down as she reassembled the candelabra she was currently working on. Did she really want to have a conversation with Malfoy? She did technically start it and it would be rude to not continue. She would take the high road, something she is sure he has never done.

“Oh, come on, Griffiths,” he goaded her with a knowing glint in his eyes. “You can tell me.”

She raised her eyebrows, her lips parting slightly.

His expression faltered, his head dipping down back to the candelabra in his hands.

Adelaide scolded herself mentally. High road, she was supposed to take the high road, not giving him dirty looks.

“The restricted section of the library, actually.” She answered, her voice soft and timid.

His eyes widened before he looked at her slightly impressed. “Wow, I didn’t know the little perfect Ravenclaw would break the rules like that.”

“Oh, shut up.” She groaned while rolling her eyes. “And what does it matter that I’m a Ravenclaw?”

“You’re not a Slytherin,” he answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “And therefore inferior.”

“Isn’t that thinking a little old, Malfoy?” She crossed her arms, scrutinizing him.

His lips curled into a smug smile as he said, “Aren’t some traditions worth keeping, Griffiths?”

Adelaide clenched her fists, resisting to punch that smirk off his face. No matter what, he was still the same egotistical asshole and she needed to remember that.

“You’re such a jerk, you know that?”

She couldn’t help but snap at him. It was not too long ago where traditional thinking started the second great war. She was tired of it- the old ways, the outdated tradition that segregated people from each other.

Draco gaped at her, surprised at her hostility.

“I-“ he stopped himself short.

She looked at him, expecting something she didn’t know. An apology maybe?

“I’m working on it,” he admitted, a certain sense of gloom in his voice.

Adelaide stared at the boy, a little shocked at this vulnerable side of him. Did she really pity him? She shifted her attention back to her task, biting her lip.

“Why did only you get in trouble anyways?” She asked, switching the topic.

Draco placed down the candelabra he finished cleaning before turning back to face her. He slapped the cloth towel over his shoulder. It wasn’t until now that he was wearing a plain grey shirt and black sweatpants. She’s never seen him look so...casual. He always had a suit or at least a nice shirt, but here he looked more human.

It was….not bad to look at.

His head cocked to one side in question. Adelaide twitched, looking down at her own hands and continuing to polish the candelabra.

Well, that was embarrassing. Again.

He smirked as he picked up the next candelabra, but didn’t make a comment on her obvious ogling.

“I took the fall for throwing the party,” he answered her question finally.

“Why? I thought some Gryffindors threw the party.”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him shrug again.

“I didn’t feel like going to Hogsmeade anyway,” he said, bending down to the soap bucket and wetting his cloth again. “Besides, McGonagall would have punished everyone if someone didn’t step up and take the blame.”

“That’s actually...nice.”

“Surprised?”

“A little.”

He scoffed, looking off to the side and shaking his head. A wisp of a smile rests softly on his lips, despite his show of annoyance.

“You know, Griffiths,” Draco started, “You aren’t that bad for a Ravenclaw.”

She rolled her eyes before saying, “Wow, thanks for the compliment.”

He gave her a shit-eating grin. “You’re welcome!”

But the grin didn’t really reach his eyes.

They cleaned in silence mostly, making small conversation here and there. It was not a horrible time. He was certainly more tolerable.

“Why the restricted library section over a party? This is our last year, why not have fun?”

Adelaide stood up from the floor, arching her back as when she stood completely upright. They were coming to the fourth hour mark of their detention and they were almost done with all the candelabras.

“I’ve never been the party type,” she admitted. “Besides, when there are parties there is less of a chance of me getting caught.”

“Except this time,” he pointed out with a smug smile.

She rolled her eyes. “Yes, but all the other times I’ve never been caught. Usually I borrow Harry’s invisibility cloak, but I didn’t have a chance to get it from him.”

“How long have you been doing this?”

“A while.”

The rest of the time was spent cleaning in a comfortable silence.

Once it came time to go back to McGonagall’s office, they walked side by side not speaking. By the time Adelaide built up the courage to start another conversation, they reached McGonagall’s office.

“Well done, you two,” she praised. “Now I understand your friends are in Hogsmeade, but as a part of your punishment, I forbid you from joining them. Take this time to reflect on your actions and perhaps get ahead in your classes.”

Adelaide gave a sharp nod. “Thank you, Headmistress McGonagall.”

“Any time, Ms. Griffith...and Mr. Malfoy as well.”

“Thank you, Headmistress,” he responded politely.

With that, McGonagall dismissed them.

They left opposite ways as their common rooms were on the other side of the school. Adelaide’s gut feeling said to turn around and say goodbye, but she didn’t.

~❀✿❀~  
The rest of the day was as normal as ever. Most of the older students besides a couple had gone to Hogsmeade, so she wanted to take the opportunity to meet and befriend the first and second years. So, she went to the North Tower, a common study spot for all students.

There, she approached a couple of Ravenclaws and helped them do their homework. Soon enough, other young students joined their study session, and Adelaide taught them all with a glint in her eye. They were actually fun to talk to, despite a couple of them being shy.

At lunch, she sat with the Ravenclaw friends she had made during the study sessions.

“Hey, Dahlia!”

Adelaide followed the voice of one of the first year Slytherins named Harper, who had joined the study session with a couple of her other Slytherin friends. Dahlia, a sweet girl, had invited them to join Adelaide and the others at the time.

Dahlia’s face lit up as her friend came over, scooting over to allow her to sit down with her friends. Before taking the offer, her eyes flitted over to Adelaide in hesitation.

“Are we allowed to sit here?” She asked with a hopeful smile.

Adelaide couldn’t help the large grin that spread to her face. Things are changing, she thought as excitement rippled through her.

“Yes, of course!” She agreed quickly before shuffling down. “Why don’t you invite your friends from your other houses, too?”

As soon as she said that, first and second year Ravenclaws were going to the other tables, asking them to sit with them. Harper and her friends called over the rest of the Slytherins, who hesitantly sat down besides the Gryffindors. The Hufflepuffs had no problem shaking hands with everyone, smiling at everyone they met. The Gryffindors mixed in with the other houses, all agreeing to make new friends as the Hufflepuffs did.

The older kids, the ones that stayed back, began to trickle in. Even the Slytherins opted to sit at the rapidly filling table, disregarding their own with little care. Soon the Ravenclaw table was filled with all the colors of Hogwarts, mixed together laughing and talking over lunch.

One lone Slytherin stayed back, eyes down as they pushed their full plate a way and stalked out of the Great Hall.

Adelaide frowned, her own eyes following his figure grow smaller until it slipped out of the large doors. But she brushed off the emotions quickly, and turned to a second-year Hufflepuff who was asking her if she should take Divination in her third year, and the frown was gone.

~❀✿❀~

Adelaide’s friends returned from Hogsmeade with big smiles on their faces. She couldn’t help but to match their enthusiasm, terribly ecstatic about her own day with the younger students at Hogwarts.

“And then I got some cauldron cakes, and chocolate frogs, of course…”

Adelaide just nodded and smiled absent-minded as Ron went on and on about the candies he bought from Honeydukes. In her own mind, thoughts of Draco swirled in her mind. Was he offended that he didn’t get a personal offer to sit with them at lunch? Why did it make him so uncomfortable if he said he was working on his own behavior? Or was that a lie?

Then, Ginny’s contagious giggly snapped Adelaide out of her worrying. Besides her, Hermione was trying to stifle her own by clamping a gloved hand over her mouth.

“What?” Ron looked to the giggling girls in confusion. “Why are you laughing? Adelaide, why are they laughing?”

Adelaide pressed her lips together in an attempt to hide her amused smile.

“I have no idea!” She said sarcastically, feigning confusion.

“It’s just Adelaide looks so interested hearing about your candy collection,” Harry chimed in, matching her sarcastic nature.

“Yeah, of course she is!” Ron agreed, slinging his arm over Adelaide, who lovingly hugged him back.

This set Hermione and Ginny fully laughing, and Adelaide couldn’t help her own giggles that slipped out of her own laugh. Even Harry chuckled besides Ginny, who had wrapped his arm around Ginny’s waist loosely.

“Oh, Ron!” Hermione sang while pinching his cheeks mockingly. He swatted her hand away before wrapping her in a hug and planting a kiss on her forehead.

Adelaide watched as her friends cooed over each other, two couples that were completely in love. Although she loved her friends and seeing the two respective couples finally get together were so satisfying (she was about to go insane with all the sexual tension), it also reminded her that she had no one like that. She was truly happy for them. She loved her friends! But seeing them together like this- the way each couple looked at each other- just reminded her of her own loneliness.

“Draco! Over here!”

At the sound of Blaise’s voice, Adelaide snapped her head in that direction. She didn’t know what made her look at Draco, but a part of her was curious.

He changed out of his comfy clothes and into black overcoat with a forest green turtleneck under it and black pants. It was once again weird to see him not wearing a black suit, which he always did under his school robes or even on the weekends. Maybe because his family has fallen out of favor, he began to dress more casually, in his sense of the word.

He smiled at Pansy and Daphne, who talked animatedly to him about the new boutique in Hogsmeade. In this setting, they looked like normal teen girls who didn’t verbally abuse people for the past seven years at Hogwarts. They looked like girls she would hang out with.

Adelaide thought that wasn’t a comforting feeling.

Suddenly, Draco’s eyes met hers for a split second. Adelaide turned away, her cheeks growing pink. It’s only the cold, it must be.

“So, Adelaide, what did you do today besides attention?”

As Adelaide rambled into the school’s entrance about her day, she felt eyes following her into the large school entrance.


	2. Mischief Managed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Draco and Adelaide grow closer. Literally, they got stuck in a broom closet. Dumb kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'd like to thank everyone for reading this so far. I'm a really busy person so my updates will be sporadic. Sorry about the weight for this one.

The next two weeks went by swiftly. 

Winter break began next week, so this last week would be rather easy to get through, as professors were trying to finish up the unit before the long break. She had a couple of tests this week, but most of her major tests and assignments were last week, leaving her to relax. 

For the past two weeks, she kept up her tutoring sessions on Sundays with the younger kids (she went to Hogsmeade on Saturdays). Slowly, they began to open up to her, no matter what house they were from. Friendships between the students blossomed as well- she saw groups of them walking to their classes, all from different houses. It warmed her heart to see it, especially with those from Slytherin and Gryffindor. Hopeful by the time they were her age, the rivalry between the houses will only be a distant memory.

She’d seen Draco in her classes and hallways, but they never really interacted. Well, sometimes she’d stare at him during class, and he caught her looking. And sometimes, rarely if anything, she caught him staring at her. It was like a little game they played, one she didn’t know the rules to. She constantly told herself how annoying it was, but she secretly reveled in it.

One day, she was walking side by side with Ron on their way to Transfiguration, when she fully bumped into the Slytherin, almost falling on her ass. She braced herself for the fall, but it never came.

Two hands had grabbed onto her waist, pulling her up at the last moment. 

“Thank you,” she murmured, locking eyes with Draco.

A beat went by where he simply stared back. Adelaide felt a tingle in the place that he held her. His hands were warm. The heat bled through the sweater that she wore under her school robes. It was surprising but very pleasant. She didn’t mind him touching her in this way. 

Oh, what was she thinking. 

He cleared his throat, lifting his hands off of her waist and placing them at his side. The moment was lost.

Adelaide looked down to where he had dropped his books swiftly in an effort to catch her, gasping as she bent down and picked them up. She offered them out to him.

“Thank you, and sorry for bumping into you,” he said, taking the books from her. 

Adelaide thinks for a brief second that was the first time he ever apologized to her.

“No worries!” She smiled kindly. “It was my bad, really.”

He didn’t reciprocate the smile, but held open the door to the Transfiguration classroom, where they had their next class. She went in first, him following behind her. She sat down next to Ron, who didn’t wait for her as she was interacting with Draco. 

Adelaide couldn’t help it but gaze at him during class. His hair dumbly fell down a little over his eyes, and his mouth formed a dimple when Theo Notts muttered something to him. Most of the time, he hunched over the desk and wrote swiftly, absorbing McGonagall’s lecture. You wouldn’t expect him to because no one ever looked at Draco as the smart type. Everyone always forgot that detail of him, especially due to his obvious narcissistic character and bigotry for the past, well, eighteen years. 

But he was, and he was cunning and clever as well. A part of her admired him and his high marks in each class. Sure, she got good grades but if she didn’t like the subject she barely gave in half of her effort in the class. 

She snapped her head back as Draco looked up to meet her gaze. Her cheeks warmed, and this time she couldn’t blame it on the cold. It was embarrassing the amount of times he’s caught her staring. She was just...curious to say the least. 

“Adelaide? Why is the ferret staring at you?” Ron whispered next to her. 

And it looked like their little game had begun for this class. 

As Adelaide looked over, the ferret, being Draco met her eyes and did not look away. Why wasn’t he looking away, like she did? Like he usually did? Was there...a smirk on his face? Oh, that teasing bastard. 

She rolled her eyes, waving mockingly at him. He blew her an unwanted kiss in response. She faked a gag in response, which was highly inappropriate in McGonagall’s class. 

“Ms. Griffith,” McGonagall called out sharply, echoing Adelaide’s thoughts. “And Mr. Malfoy.”

Adelaide froze before glancing up slowly to shoot McGonagall an apologetic glance. 

“I am glad that the two of you have become…”-McGonagall struggled to find the word”-friends, after your Saturday detention, but if you do not want another I suggest you pay attention.”

“Sorry, Headmistress,” the two croaked in unison. 

“Oh, and I would appreciate it if the two of you can stay after class. I have a floor that needs sweeping.”

With that, McGonagall returned to her lesson.

Adelaide and Draco’s eyes met once more. She shrugged, brushing off the small consequence of making faces at him. He only winked, once again mockingly. 

She turned back around, pretending not to notice Ron’s confused look beside her. 

After class, Adelaide stayed back as McGonagall “suggested” she do. They didn’t talk as they swept, although she could feel Draco’s eyes on her every now and then. She resisted looking at him this time- she really had no reason to stare at him. 

“Oh, Ms. Griffith, may I talk to you privately for one moment?” McGonagall asked. 

She looked back at Draco, who didn’t give her a glance as he purposely bumped into her shoulder while leaving. 

“Idiot,” she murmured, loud enough for him to hear it. 

She caught the hint of his smirk as he passed through the door. 

“Now,” McGonagall started after observing the odd exchange, “I’ve noticed your friendliness to those of different houses. I admire that in you, Ms. Griffith.”

“Thank you, Headmistress,” she accepted the compliment with grace and what was hopefully a humble smile. “After last year's event, I believe bridging the gap between the houses is important.”

“Imperative, indeed.” McGonagall agreed with a nod. “As Headmistress, my responsibility to Hogwarts is to ensure the students wellbeing. I believe bonding the houses will ensure that, especially concerning last year's events. Do you agree?”

“Yes, of course!” Adelaide exclaimed. “I think last year has been hard on everyone, and we need a sense of community and unity in our school again.”

“A wise observation, Ms. Griffiths,” McGonagall praised her once more, her lips pursed in a smile. “I believe that I need a student’s help in this case, and I wanted to offer you the position. Although you are pureblood, you have a wide knowledge of muggle customs and ways. of life. You possess a quality within you that even former-excuse me- previous, prejudiced students can’t ignore. You will need to work hard in order to succeed, but I know that you have the motivation and the perseverance to do so. I believe you're the perfect candidate to help me with this task.” 

She wanted to hug McGonagall so tight and thank her over and over the amazing offer. But that would be highly inappropriate, so she settled for the widest smile she could manage.

“I accept!” She exclaimed quickly, not even trying to tone down her excitement. “I’ll do everything I can in my power to help you.”

McGonagall gave her a pleased smile before saying, “We can meet on Friday to discuss future plans. Over the break, you may use your time to prepare for next year. I’m sure we will have lots of ideas between the two of us.”

After saying a quick thank you, Adelaide skipped out of the classroom, the biggest smile on her face. Once she was sure that McGonagall could not see her, she let out squeal, jumping up and down as she did. 

“Wow, you’re that excited for your little task, huh?”

Adelaide’s eyes went wide when she saw Draco leaning up against the wall. One foot rested against the wall and he held his books to his chest. His trademark arrogant smirk curled around his lips.

“Actually, yes.” She continued walking, not bothering to explain her answer. 

He pushed himself off the wall, falling into stride next to her. She rolled her eyes in response. Just because they had one little detention together didn’t make them friends, even if they were on somewhat civil terms.

“It’s never going to work, you know.”

Adelaide turned to stand in front of him, effectively blocking him from walking further. Ignoring her temper that threatened to flare up, she schooled her face into a confused expression. 

“Why do you say that?” She asked in the most innocent tone she could muster. 

If he noticed the tone behind her words, he didn’t show it. Instead, he scoffed, looking away for a moment before meeting her gaze.

“Oh, come on, Griffith. You can’t seriously believe you can change the way the Gryffindors feel about us? Or the rest of the school for that matter?”

She clenched her jaw causing her teeth to grit against each other. She tried to keep a poised expression that was rapidly failing

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.” She declared with confidence. 

His chuckle was dark and mocking. Her body stiffened. Waves of anger flooded her heart, but she tried to remain composed. If she was going to even attempt to bring the houses together, she needed to get used to this type of thinking. She couldn’t become angry when people doubted her. There would be plenty of people doing that, and her anger at others' lack of faith in her would only worsen the situation.

“Keep dreaming, Griffith.” He remarked, his voice condescending. 

Maybe it was because it was Malfoy and he has always been an arrogant asshole. Or maybe because he promised that he was working on his behavior. Maybe because they had almost become friends. 

Whatever it was, his pessimistic attitude provoked her fury. As much as she wanted to punch the stupid, smug smile she refrained. Instead, she relaxed her jaw, unclenched her fist, and took a calming breath. 

With a sugar-sweet smile and eyes of murder, she retorted, “Don’t need to, Malfoy”

The animosity in her voice was as clear as day, but she didn’t care. She simply pivoted on her heels and stormed away. 

* * *

Snow blanketed the Hogwarts ground below the Ravenclaw tower. The moonlight lit up the mountains in the distance, their snowy peaks a background to the frozen-over lake and the snow-covered trees of the forbidden forest. 

The sight from the Ravenclaw common room was one unmatched anywhere in Hogwarts. That’s one of the reasons Adelaide delighted with the room, as well as the star painted ceiling. She could sit here forever in the quiet of the tower, the only noise the whistling of the wind that often lulled her to sleep. 

Unfortunately, that was not on her agenda tonight. 

It was her last night here before the Winter break. Many of Hogwarts students would leave tomorrow on the express train back to their respective homes. Adelaide was one of those children. Although, some of the older students decided to have a last hurrah before going back home to their families. 

The party, as usual, took place in the room of requirement. And, as usual, many of the older students from all types of Hogwart houses were going. Her friends tried their hardest to convince her to go, but she wanted to go to the library one last time before she had to leave for home. 

She pulled Harry’s Invisibility cloak over her head, her comfy clothes disappearing with the rest of her body. She exited the common room, entering the fifth floor, and resumed her usual route to the Library. 

It was rather easy to sneak to the library, it was only a few floors and a corridor away. And the teachers have decided to neglect this branch of the castle, as students can’t party in any of the rooms down here. Her only concern would be Madam Pince if she had stayed in the library late this evening. But even then the invisibility cloak would protect her from being caught.

It wasn’t long before she reached the library, slipping behind the shelves of books all the way into the restricted section. Madam Pince was nowhere in sight. The section was only guarded by a single strip of rope, so she entered. 

It was just too easy to sneak into here. 

She browsed the book selections. They were always in the same order, alphabetically by author of course. No new books, either, as far she could tell. It didn't matter, she has barely gone halfway with the books here anyway. 

Adelaide didn’t really know her obsession with the restricted section. Perhaps it was because of her thirst for knowledge on even things that are rather dark and considered dangerous. The books about the Dark Arts was a surprisingly bigger section than one would think at Hogwarts. The types of disturbing things she read always chilled her spine, but Adelaide read them anyway. She never would use them, she never thought about using them. But she read them anyway.

She read about spells that were high above her difficulty, most of them correlating with defense against the dark arts and transfiguration, but there were advanced books on every type of magic. Unlike the Dark Art spellbooks, they were only placed in the Restricted Section because they were high above the student's ability to perform them. She liked reading about legilimency and Occlumency the best, as those types of magic are normally taught through action, not on paper. As well as how to become an animagus, which again is learned through the process, not the concept. 

Then, of course, there was a small percentage of books that circled around outlawed creatures. Any information on XXXXX creatures is taught through Hagrid’s words if he mentions them. Adelaide assumed the books are considered “dangerous” to read as they are about dangerous creatures. It was stupid, really, because it’s extremely hard to acquire the creatures anyway. 

Though her favorite books were about Wizard History. They are only kept in this section because the books are old, so old that the natural oils on one’s hands would completely destroy the paper. She brought gloves with her due to this fact. The books were often compiled of many first-hand accounts of Wizard history, making the information so incredibly valuable to Adelaide that she can’t resist.

Although currently, Adelaide was reading about Chimaeras. She grabbed the book, settling down on the floor, leaning against the bookshelves with the book propped up in her lap. Chimaeras are rather interesting creatures as they have a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a dragon’s tail. Originated in Greece, daughter of beasts Typhon and Echidna. The only reported killing was by the son of Poseidon, Bellerophon, who fell off its winged-horses back shortly after. They were truly a furious beast, which is why the British Ministry classified them as XXXXX creatures.

She remembers Hagrid mentioning this creature once, back in their fifth year. She didn’t remember the full conversation, but she does remember that Hagrid had said that their eggs were rather difficult to acquire. And Hermione dissuading him from attempting to try to get one. 

A creak of the floorboard startled Adelaide, causing her to jump from her place on the floor. A scurry of steps, soft pitters, followed the creak. It wasn’t unusual for the floors to creak, but the footsteps…

“Hello?” A voice whispered in the darkness. 

Adelaide froze, her hair on her neck standing up. 

The book was in her lap. She was invisible and the book was in her lap. If they saw the book, she would be caught. 

“Griffiths? Are you in here?” 

Oh, that dumb motherfucker. 

Adelaide rose from the floor as quietly as she could, sliding the book back where it belonged. She made sure the cloak covered every strand of her down to the tips of her toes before she began to walk towards him. The Ravenclaw was rather good at sneaking around, her feet as light as a ballerina as she tiptoed around the bookshelves. 

She spotted him a minute later walking through the shelves as quietly as he could manage. He was faced directly in front of her. His eyes alert as he looks for clues for her whereabouts. His jaw clenched, most likely in the paranoia of getting caught. He wasn’t a prefect anymore and was at risk for punishment for breaking curfew.

She crept quietly towards him, both moving towards each other at a slow pace. Adelaide let him get close to her, about a foot away. In one swift movement, she reached the end of the cloak and brought it down over his head, covering him with it. 

He began to make a noise of shock, but she clamped her hand over his mouth before he could. 

“Sh,” she whispered. “It’s only me, Malfoy.”

He grabbed her wrist forcefully, drawing it away from his mouth. 

“You absolute idiot! Don’t scare people like that!” He scream-whispered at her, his face flush from anger and embarrassment. 

She twisted her hand out of his grasp, snapping back, “You’re the dumbass! Don’t go sneaking into a castle calling people’s names!”

He gave her a long look before rolling his eyes. “I guess that’s fair,” he grumbled. 

She breathed out, noticing they were rather close to each other. Their feet were touching as they stood face to face. His head was mere inches from hers. Their interaction from earlier this week flashed through her mind. His warm hands on her waist, steadying her after she almost fell. Oh, the electricity on her skin, warming her whole body from head to toe. 

She wanted that now, looking up at him here in the library. The moonlight softly creeping in from the windows glowed on his pale skin, appearing creamy and smooth. It bounced off his blond hair in a way that made it shimmer. And his eyes, Merlin they shined so brightly in the pale light. He has always been devastatingly handsome, everyone knew it. Over the years many of the girls swooned over him, Slytherin, and other houses alike. She always knew, but not like this. She could never see him as handsome for his ugly, narcissistic personality. But now it was like she was seeing him the way everyone has been seeing him for years. All she had to do is lean in and-

She looked away quickly, breaking away from his gaze and effectively ruining the moment. She couldn’t think of Malfoy that way, no matter how attractive he was. 

“Um,” she murmured, trying to find anything to say. 

He cocked an eyebrow at her.

“What time is it?” She settled on. 

He glanced at the watch on his wrist. 

“Almost one o’clock.”

Her eyes went wide as she said, “Oh, no, we have to get out of here!”

“But, why-”

She cut him off as she grabbed his hand and began walking quickly towards the exit of the Restricted Section. She wasn’t being quiet at any means, but it didn’t matter cause it was already too late and they could get caught either way.

“Mrs. Norris patrols the dungeon at one, meaning we need to leave now so you won’t get caught,” she explained while pulling him along. 

“How do you even know that?” He asked, a clear judgment in his voice. “What, did you stalk her for weeks?”

She rolled her eyes, not answering. They didn’t have time to discuss this. But, he halted once they left the library, pulling back his wrist from her grasp. 

“No, you don’t have to escort me there. I’ll be fine on my own.” He stated in a dismissive manner. 

She rolled her eyes again, now becoming frustrated. His expression was neutral and unbothered, much like the Draco she knew last year. She knew he practiced occumulency in the past, but perhaps he still kept up with it. She didn’t feel anything from him.

“Stop it, would you?” She said, tugging her hands through her hair. “I have a magical cloak, you do not. I know the patrol path of Mrs. Norris and the professors, you do not. Now, shut up and follow me.”

He opened his mouth to argue, but Adelaide gave him a hard look. He closed his mouth reluctantly. 

“Stay close,” she said. “The cloak barely covers the two of us.”

Adelaide guided him through the corridors as swiftly as they could manage while still remaining to be quiet. They could still get caught if they made even just one wrong move that caused noise. Luckily the professors have never caught her with the invisible cloak, so they didn’t even know she ever used it at all. Mrs. Norris was the biggest concern- she was a cat and had sharp ears.

Draco kept close as she commanded. He remained only a few inches away while they walked, which was awkward in general because they were so close together. They had to walk in sync as well, which proved difficult at first given the height difference. Eventually, they managed. 

Once they had descended the step into the Dungeon corridor, Adelaide paused in her step. 

“What’s wrong?” Draco whispered.

His chest was molded to her back, his head lowered toward her ear. His hot breath tickled her skin. She had to resist a shiver from the sensation. 

“We need to pass Mrs. Norris to get to the Slytherin Commonroom,” she responded, her head angled toward the side. “We walk slowly, not making a peep.”

He nodded once, which she felt more than saw. 

She stepped forward again, rounding the corridor. Adelaide couldn’t help to take a sharp breath in surprise.

Mrs. Norris was right there. 

Draco reached around and slapped a hand over her mouth in an attempt to quiet her, but the sound of the slap alerted Mrs. Norris. The cat looked up from her paw, which she had been licking, and eyed them narrowly. She began to stalk around them, sniffing with her nose and her ears rigid. 

Adelaide held her back in an attempt to melt into the wall Draco was leaning on. She was pressed up against Draco once more, his hand still cupping her mouth. His hand was tightly wrapped around her waist, something he must’ve done on instinct. She could feel his chest rising and falling, his heart quickening. Her own heart and chest swelled with fear, and she pleaded that Mrs. Norris would turn away. 

After a moment, the cat relaxed its stance, sauntering down into the corridor. Draco slowly lifted her hand off her mouth, and Adelaide breathed in the musty, cold air of the dungeon. She rarely went down here, only for potions class. In the first potions class she ever took, she was so thankful she wasn’t a Slytherin because the air quality was absolutely terrible. Even now in potions, she couldn’t seem to….stop...sneezing. 

By the time Adelaide realized what was happening, it was too late. She tried to muffle the sound of her sneeze by plugging her nose, but it was no use. 

Mrs. Norris pivoted around at the noise, hissing at them before pacing up the stairs to go find Filch. 

Her eyes went wide and her mind blank. A wave of anxiety warmed her chest. She can feel her palms beginning to sweat despite feeling as cold as the dungeon. She urged her limbs to go and run, but she couldn’t move. Frustration welled up in her as she was stuck in place.

Draco seemed to match her feelings because he ushered her forward, saying “Go, go go!”

His hand pushed into her back snapping her out of her frozen state. She began to swiftly walk down the corridor, knowing if they went any faster the invisibility cloak would fly off of them. Draco had grabbed her hand, and she let him lead her further in the dungeon. 

Suddenly he stopped right before they ended the dungeon hall. He reached into his pocket and grabbed his wand, flicking it at the wall. The wordless spell caused the stone to unhinge in place, revealing a small broom closet. 

Adelaide didn’t hesitate to go inside, Draco following behind her and shutting the closet with another wordless spell. She lifted the cloak from over her and Draco’s body before getting out her own wand and casting Lumos wordlessly. 

“Muffliato,” he murmured, his wand still raised at the door.

She let out a shaky breath, relief flooding her. Draco ran his hand through his hair before sitting down, his legs crossed in front of him. Adelaide sat down in the same position and their knees touched slightly. Her wand laid on the ground between them, lighting up space between them.

She breathed deeply to calm herself down. She kept a count in her head to help her breathe consistently. Madame Pomfrey had suggested the method last year, and it worked wonders for her. 

“Thank you,” she said a moment later. “That was a close one.”

Draco shot her an annoyed look. “I can’t believe we almost got caught because of your stupid allergies.”

She scoffed, saying, “It’s not my fault that the air quality down here is horrid! You should be grateful I even helped you in the first place!”

His eyes rolled skyward as he crossed his arm defiantly. Her green eyes bore into his grey ones with the sharpness of a knife. A moment later he let an exasperated sigh, conceding. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

Her eyes lightened up as she said, “Your welcome-”

“Idiot.”

His lips curled into a smirk, his eyes gleaming with mischief. She glared at him once more, but there was no real anger behind it. As much as she wanted to be pissed, she couldn’t. In turn, she ended up frustrated at her screwed up emotions and settled for pushing his shoulder with her hand. 

“Shut up,” she commanded, although her tone was weak.

“And they say I’m the mean one,” he teased, pushing her back lightly.

She nudged his side with her elbow, taking pleasure in the little grunt he released. 

“So violent,” he commented. “I’m kinda surprised, Griffiths. Never pegged you for a sadist.”

“I will hit you again.”

“See, there it is.”

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep the amused smile off her face. Draco was actually...funny. No matter how annoying he is, she enjoyed his banter. It felt almost a little too natural to be acting like this with him. They were acting like they were almost friends, which they most certainly were not. But when did she start to tolerate his presence? If they were stuck in a closet together like this a couple of years ago, she would have bitten his head off. 

“So, how long did you stalk Mrs. Norris?” He asked, bringing up his question from earlier. 

She rolled her eyes at his inquisitive nature before bringing up a question of her own. 

“Why did you come to the library?”

His eyes went wide for a second before he controlled his expression. 

“I asked you first.”

“I asked you second.”

“Don’t be immature!”

“Says you.”

“Griffith, you are the most annoying person I’ve ever met!”

She couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her lips. He huffed in frustration, which only made her laugh harder. He looked absolutely childish when he was annoyed like this- his lips pouty, his eyes glaring towards the floor. She had seen this look on Malfoy plenty of times over the years, but she never failed to be wildly amused by it. 

Once she stopped laughing, she looked at him with a soft smile. “I’ll answer your question if you answer mine.”

Draco’s eyes narrowed at her.

“You first.”

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Um,” she looked up, trying to remember the exact amount of time. “Maybe a couple of weeks?”

“And how did you learn the routes of the rest of the professors?”

She shook her head slowly at him while saying, “Oh, no. I answered your question, you answer mine.”

Draco looked away. “I wanted to...apologize,” he admitted, refusing to meet her eyes.

She raised her eyebrows, slightly impressed. 

“For?”

“Oh, you know what,” he grumbled.

She shrugged. 

“No, I don’t actually. Do you mind telling me?” She asked feigning ignorance. 

He shot her a glare, his cheeks are now slightly pink in embarrassment. She looked at him expectantly, and the similarity of the situation brought her back to their time in detention, where she also waited for an apology.

He buried his head in his hands, rubbing his face. This apology proved to be quite hard to muster up. Adelaide wondered if it was because never had to admit when he was wrong before. Growing up the way he did, Draco never apologized to anyone, unless forced to. She had yet to see a genuine apology from him. 

“Look, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. The way I was raised and the things I've done..." he paused, and she could see his jaw clenching as he looked down towards his feet. "-It’s hard to believe that people are going to be willing to change. McGonagall said it will be hard work, but you have no idea what you’re in for.” 

Suddenly he looked up, meeting her eyes as he said, "I didn’t mean to underestimate your capabilities and make you upset. I really am sorry.”

His words hung in the air for a moment. She looked away, glancing to her own lap.

It was unlike any behavior Malfoy had exhibited in the past. He was vulnerable and truthful and it was so surprising that such words would ever come out of his mouth. She was once again reminded that he was only a teenager just like her. That he was far too young to experience the things he did. 

Far too young to look broken inside.

“The Marauder's map,” she stated finally.

His face scrunched up in confusion. Whether it was at the sudden topic change or to what she said, Adelaide didn’t know. 

“What?”

“How I know where every professor is. The Marauder's map.” She explained. 

“What is that?”

She froze, before cringing inwardly. Insults flooded her mind as she scolded herself. Their strict “Don’t tell Malfoy about this” rule has been broken by her. Harry was going to maim her.

“Shit,” she muttered. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that.”

“Too late now.”

She shot him a look before saying, “Obviously.”

He looked at her, waiting for her to continue. She breathed out of her nose harshly. Yep, Harry is going to murder her, 

“It’s a map of the school that tells you where everyone in Hogwarts is. It shows every classroom, every corridor, and every tower. As well as the grounds. Secret passages, too. On the map it shows everyone with a little got and their name scribbled above it.

“So if you have the map, why track Mrs. Norris?”

“Because the map only shows people, not animals,” she explained. “Although it does show animagi.”

“And why is it called the Marauder's map?”

She hesitated slightly, off-put by the question. 

“What?” He asked, confused by her uncertainty.

“James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and Remus Lupin,” she listed, ignoring his question. “Those are the Marauders.”

Draco’s eyes slightly widened. “Oh.”

Understanding washed over his face and it was like detention all over again as an awkward silence filled the closet. She didn’t notice until now that she had pulled her knees close to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around them. Her heart began to ache, the memories of those she lost in the battle flooding her head. 

“I’m sorry.”

It was so, so quiet. 

For the second time that night, he apologized. And it was then that she glanced up at him, seeing the regret in his eyes. The way he looked at his arm. _That_ arm. The scowl in his eyes, the pure hatred. The grim line of his mouth. The shakiness of his hands and oh she was shaking, too. It was all bubbling up on the surface, she could feel it. 

They were too young, way too young.

“Do you want to see the map?” She cringed, immediately regretting the question. 

Harry was going to revive her dead body just to murder her again.

But she didn’t know what else to do or say so she needed to say something. She couldn’t do it. Not here, not now, not with him. She just couldn’t. 

Draco nodded slowly, curiosity piqued his interest. 

She dug into the pocket of the Invisibility cloak, which had folded beside her. She kept it in there when she first started going to the Restricted Section. Though she did stay up for several nights a week to study the professor’s movements. Most were in bed an hour or so after curfew, only staying in their offices to finish up their lesson planning or grading for the week. A select few were always awake later on, like Filch being the Caretaker of Hogwarts. McGonagall would stay up late in her office most weekdays, and Madame Pomfrey would go in and out of the hospital wing and her room, tending to patients in the middle of the night. 

She crossed her legs again, holding the map in between the two of them. Draco had moved closer, peering over her shoulder. 

“It’s blank,” he stated, rather puzzled. “Why is it blank?”

She looked over at him, smirking. 

“May I borrow your wand?” 

He surprisingly handed it over with no protest. Although he did give her a suspicious look. She raised her wand over the map as she glanced at him to watch his reaction. 

“I solemnly swear that I am up to no good,” she recited while tapping the cream parchment with his wand. 

Ink slowly began to appear on the map, before it darkened to a dark, red-toned brown. She opened it up, allowing Draco to see the full map of Hogwarts. He gasped beside her in awe at such a thing. Hogwarts was known to be impossible to map, after all.

“It even shows the secret passages, too.” He pointed out, pressing his index finger to the hidden room they were in right now.

“That is…” He began, not being able to find the right words. 

“Wonderful,” she offered, sparing him a glance. 

He met her gaze, nodding. “Yes, wonderful.” He agreed. 

A small smile formed on his lips, and she couldn’t help but reciprocate. His eyes were full of curiosity and an unexplainable softness. This was the second time tonight he had displayed a side of himself she never thought possible. 

It occurred to her then that he was also really close to her. The sides of their bodies pressed together and he was leaning into her. His right hand was placed beside her own, gripping the map. And when she turned, his mouth was now inches away. Her heart fluttered at the realization.

And for the second time tonight, she found herself wanting to lean in and press her lips to his.

But the moment never came. Their heads snapped back to the map in unison, both realizing who they are and who they were to each other. Not friends, barely even acquaintances. 

“Hey, Filch is in his office,” Draco said, pointing to the map. 

“Time?” She asked. 

“Uh, about two.”

“Hm,” she hummed, thinking. “Mrs. Norris should be in the classroom wing by now.”

Draco began to rise from the ground, saying, “I guess this night has come to an end.”

Oh. Surely he wasn’t-

Draco picked both of their wands off the ground as Adelaide unfolded the robe once more. Draco offered her a hand, and she took it gratefully, allowing him to pull her up to her feet. 

She closed up the map with another murmur and flick of her own wand before putting it in the pocket of the cloak as the ink faded. Draco himself had opened the door to the broom closet and was stepping out of it. 

They stood awkwardly for a moment, trying to figure out how to end their time together. Adelaide scratched the back of her neck, looking down at her feet which she was bouncing between. 

“Um,” Draco began. “Let’s never do this again.”

Normally Adelaide would be offended, but she saw the mischief in his eyes. So instead she chuckled before saying, “Agreed."

He rolled his eyes at her before nudging her playfully again. Things between them were comfortable once again, and the light mood from earlier hung in the air. 

“See you around, Griffiths,” he said, beginning to turn away.

“Draco?” She prompted, making him halt in his step. 

“Yes?” He asked, turning to face her. 

She met his eyes, giving him a regretful smile, “I accept your apologies.”

His eyes grew in surprise for a moment, but he schooled his expression into a neutral one. 

“Goodnight, Adelaide,” He said, before turning away and walking towards the Slytherin Commonroom.

It wasn’t until she sat under the warm covers of her bed that the moment registered. He had called her Adelaide, not Griffiths, or Ravenclaw, or any of the things he had called her over the years. He had said her name. 

It wasn’t until many months later that she realized he had given her a genuine smile.


End file.
